End of the week goodies:

• Aguero flattered by Chelsea link.
  
• More MLS dudes to go on loan?
  
• Joe Cole talking contract extension.
  
• Tottenham and Ruud?
  
• Rooney to Real? Never gonna happen. He's United for life.
  
• Relief for Bruce Arena at the end of the Beckham saga.

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You can watch Sporting Gijon v Real Madrid Live online here.

Sporting Gijon v Real Madrid
Santiago Bernabeu, La Liga
Saturday 24 October 2009
Kick-off: 20:00 CET

Sporting Gijon Preview

Gijon's admirable start to the 09/10 La Liga campaign has seen them perched securely in the top half of the table going into Saturday's game with Real Madrid.

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The Ajax group is training on the airstrip of the Cape Verdian Islands (1972, on their way to the world cup match against Independiente in Argentina). From left: Gerrie Muhren, Sies Wever, Johan Neeskens, Arnold Muhren (Ruud Krol behind him), Horst Blankenburg, Piet Keizer with sunglasses, Barrie Hulshoff, Gerrie Kleton, Click to continue reading...

Alguna vez jugaste en tu barrio y te tocaba la cascarita más sencilla, el portero era un chamaco 3 años menor que tu, apenas y llegaba a la mitad de la altura de la portería y los defensas eran simples novatos.

Metían desde goles difíciles, el clásico lucidor, remate de fuera del área y hasta un gol" de churro" donde por x o y, la pelota queda a modo para alguien solo la empujara.

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Llegó en el mercado de invierno para cubrir la baja de su compatriota Van Nistelrooy. Fue considerado un sustituto de lujo para Ruud y una apuesta para el presente/futuro cercano por sus impresionantes cifras goleadoras. Luchó hasta el final por la Liga, dudó en irse por la falta de minutos y quedó relegado de la Champions por que su club –con una sola vacante- decidió anotar a Lass Diarra. Click to continue reading...

Stuff to read while you watch Nike's continued focus on the Brazilian kit.... The La Liga debut on ESPN netted a decent audience. (Unprofessional Foul) The skinny on the Bundesliga opening. (Bundesliga Offside) Harry Redknapp has officially lost it. (The Spoiler) Sticking up for Arsene. (Sport.co.uk) Ruud, predictably, declares his World Cup 2010 intent. Click to continue reading...

wp-image-1216 alignright" src="http://www.trulyreds.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/arjen-robben-200x300.jpg" width="112" reports United Arjen come England end transfer my will a time for players god stated that target="_blank">Bayern to Dutchman Madrid! is his picking number during term. Click to continue reading...

Standing left to right: Joop Hiele, John van 't Schip, Frank Rijkaard, John Bosman, Wim Koevermans (?), Ruud Gullit Seated left to right: Marco van Basten, Wilbert Suvrijn, Hendrie Kruzen, Jan Wouters, Adrie van Tiggelen Hendrie Kruzen played five internationals for the Dutch team. The ex Heracles, Den Bosch and PSV player Click to continue reading...

Barcelona winning everything last season could have deeper repercussions for the Premier League beyond felling Manchester United in the Champions League. They've awoken the sleeping spending giant that is Real Madrid. Desperate to overtake the unstoppable Barça, Real Madrid have obliterated all transfer records and don't look anywhere near stopping.

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SoccerLens with a fantastic report on this recent development -- Real Madrid Firesale: Sneijder, Huntelaar, Robben, Diarra, Van der Vaart and Ruud for sale
Will City sign any of Real's Dutch contingent? Click to continue reading...

Martin Samuel has written an article for The Daily Mail which basically sees nothing but doom for the future of Manchester United if Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave.

The idea that United are better off without him, or that he can be easily replaced, is too far-fetched.

Are United better off without a player who wants to be in Madrid?

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Give the man his due: Ruud Gullit got a lot of things wrong while indifferently trotting alongside Los Angeles Galaxy proceedings for a few months in 2008. But he sure had MLS pegged on one account.
Gullit seemed exasperated after one particular match last year, admitting, more or less, that he was struggling to identify patterns and recurring themes in MLS.

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Really Stupid Commentary, Part I
So because I'm apparently completely inept with a computer - I keep telling everyone, but they don't believe me - I spent the day unable to log on to BigSoccer.
So instead, in between dealing with the contractor who showed up at the house 1) with an incredibly hot mid-20's female "helper" in the tightest pants I've ever seen in my life and 2) stinking of booze, I looked at some other soccer websites. Click to continue reading...

The repercussions of Robinho's absence on the pitch are just now beginning to be felt by MADRIDISTAS everywhere. Last year, whenever Madrid played this bad, Robinho bailed them out, which is what great players do, they create something out of nothing. No one else on this team has that ability to be the 'rompe esquemas'(spanish for gamebreaker). Click to continue reading...

I'm covering this week for the usual ESPN Thursday Primetime writer, Jeff Carlisle. My preview went up earlier today. If it seems heavy on Chivas USA - quotes, well, their players were available yesterday and the Galaxy didn't practice or have any media availability until today. I mean, it's not as if I could use my old Ruud Gullit quotes. Click to continue reading...

Gullit? Out. Resigned.
Lalas? Out. Axed.
Cobi? IN!!!
Massive changes came down like a guillotine in Hollywood on Monday, as the head coach and general manager of the most underachieving team in the league were sent packing.

"We are stepping up and doing what we need to do to straighten this thing out," Galaxy investor/operator Tim Leiweke told The Associated Press on Monday in announcing the changes.

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There was a bloodbath in Los Angeles today as Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas got the boot and coach Ruud Gullit packed up his balls and went home. The official story is that he resigned. There's a chance it may actually be true. LA fans aren't hugely surprised by the Lalas news. He [...] Click to continue reading...

David Beckham's publicist has issued a statement on today's events on behalf of Becks:

"He is sad to see Ruud and Alexi go, but he and the team remain focused on getting back to winning ways starting with the game against Chivas on Thursday."

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The SuperClasico blew Ruud's mind. Or maybe he's just used to Saturday night games.
Whatever the reason, Ruud kept referring to Thursday in the post-game press conference as the last day he had a healthy squad. Actually, the game was played on Thursday, and Tuesday was the day he meant, because after that the Galaxy players started dropping off. Click to continue reading...

Here's the rest of the questions LD answered about the match today. I can't post audio because I didn't use a recorder where I can transfer the sound file, so it's just the text.On his flu:
It's all right. It's doing all right. I'll get through tomorrow. I thought I was feeling better, then it's taken like a dip and I've started not to feel so good the last couple of days. Click to continue reading...

Week 13 already?

Looks like we're doing well though.  Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle are #1 and #2 respectively on the MLS high-scoring list.  A Galaxy player has captured 6 of the last 12 MLS Player of the Week awards.  We lead the Western standings.  So far so good!

The Columbus Crew come to the HDC with a record of 7-4-1 versus our record of 6-4-2.

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Look guys, it's part one, ok? I know there's more to come and the real "best goal ever" will be selected after the finals! We want to give Ruud and Rafael some more opportunities. But, I can't control myself... I wanted to poll your ideas already. So, humor me, ok? Wesley Click to continue reading...

Former Olympic, European and World 100m Champion Linford Christie, who tested positive for the banned steroid Nandrolone in 1999, feels he should have been asked to carry the Olympic Torch through London in April, claiming there is institutionalized racism in the United Kingdom. In his interview, Christie produced this absolute gem. Click to continue reading...

None of my quarterfinal matchups appeared as I last predicted, so I guess I'll have to try again.
Portugal vs. Germany
Like many, I thought this would be the semifinal from the top of the bracket. Sadly we'll have to watch this one a little early.
Though through to the semis, neither of these teams have been overly impressive. Click to continue reading...

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Marco van Basten took a measured and cautious approach at the team press conference yesterday in Switzerland. But Ruud looks relaxed and confident, wouldn't you say? And Edwin has a gleam in his eye that says "winner" to me. Hup, Holland, hup!

From the AP:

Dutch coach Marco van Basten said Wednesday his side's place in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals is far from assured despite their 3-0 demolition of world champions Italy.

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Well we've now seen all of the teams play and after a slow start the tournament seems to be coming to life with the quickest teams packed full of relative youngsters, Holland, Portugal and Spain, showing the value of fast, counter-attacking football and winning relatively comfortably (although both Italy and Russia were slightly unlucky to end up on the wrong side of absolute gubbings). Click to continue reading...

Mijatovic already has fixed its great objective to reinforce the attack of Madrid for next the five seasons. One is Klas Jan Huntelaar, forward center of the Ajax. It is only 24 years old and he is pichichi of the Eredivisie (it binds Dutch) with 27 goals. Although the great desire of Schuster to look for to him a companion of dance in the hunting of the goal Goes Nistelrooy happens to contract Drogba, to which the Chelsea has promised to sell this summer, Mijatovic wants to make be worth their criterion like sport director for several reasons. Click to continue reading...

A couple days after the news of Frank Yallop leaving the LA Galaxy to move north to coach the expansion San Jose Earthquakes, it may appear that the Galaxy have found their man to replace Yallop. Ruud Gullit is being linked by several sources as the next Galaxy manager. Gullit, known for his phrase "sexy [...] Click to continue reading...